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Democratic Convention: Notebook

State House News Service

Updated:
07/13/2013 07:09:57 PM EDT

State House News Service

DELEO: "I JUST FEEL VERY STRONGLY" ABOUT TAX PROPOSAL

House Speaker Robert DeLeo indicated he will brook no compromise with Gov. Deval Patrick, who is seeking an amendment to a $500 million tax bill that Patrick said would guarantee revenue even if the western Massachusetts Turnpike tolls come down in 2017. "I just saw the governor downstairs, had spoken to him on Thursday. We just quite frankly disagree, and although on many issues I'd like to say there is some middle ground you could come to, some different vision, I just feel very strongly in terms of taxes, tolls, fares and whatnot, that that can't be part of the equation," DeLeo told the News Service Saturday at the Democratic Party Convention in Lowell. The bill that DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray support includes $500 million in new gas, tobacco and computer software service taxes, requires the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to either find new efficiencies or raise fares and tolls, and does not foreclose a future governor from keeping the tolls up, according to legislative leaders. Patrick, who disputes that the Legislature's bill would direct $800 million to transportation by 2018, vetoed $435 million from the state budget Friday, mostly because the budget is out of balance due to the lack of a resolution on taxes. DeLeo agreed that without the taxes the budget is out of balance, but said he does not think that will end up being the case, indicating his confidence in the Legislature's ability to override Patrick on the tax bill, which the governor has threatened to veto if it returned to him without an amendment.

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"I don't think we're going to have to make that decision," DeLeo said when asked what he would cut to balance the budget. DeLeo said he is usually in favor of compromise. "I'm always the biggest guy who's willing to talk and to compromise. I don't look for conflict or anything like that, but I think that right now, we've got a great piece of legislation," DeLeo said. He said he had not yet reviewed all of Patrick's vetoes, some of which are to earmarks for projects that were added by the House. DeLeo said his priority is overriding the $177 million veto Patrick made to unrestricted local aid. DeLeo spoke amid the political ambition on display at convention in Lowell, though he said he had given little thought to the various candidates for office. "Right now I'm so focused on getting a budget and a transportation bill by Aug. 1, that's really actually controlling all of my thoughts right now," he said. The state is operating on an interim budget aimed to keep bills and employees paid through July.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY ADDS TO PLATFORM

The political jockeying at the state Democratic Party Convention in Lowell may have overshadowed the real reason more than 3,000 delegates trekked to the Mill City on a Saturday in July. The party adopted an issue platform that added planks dealing with immigration, women's rights, housing and business and entrepreneurship to the statement of positions and values of the Democratic Party. The immigration platform includes support for the DREAM Act and a pathway to citizenship for all documented and undocumented immigrants that is "fair and timely." The delegates also adopted amendments to the education platform to make sure the word "citizens" was replaced with "Massachusetts residents" and to affirmatively describe climate change as a "crisis." Newton Mayor Setti Warren chaired party's platform committee.

NAUGHTON WILL LAUNCH LT. GOV. BID AFTER LABOR DAY

Rep. Harold "Hank" Naughton Jr., a Clinton Democrat, will gear up a campaign for lieutenant governor at the conclusion of the summer and once his committee has finished a major piece of gun legislation, he told the News Service. "We're going to spend the rest of the summer working hard, trying to produce a quality piece of legislation on gun violence, and I want the focus to be on that. I want the momentum to stay there," the chairman of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security told the News Service. He said, "I think once we get through that, get through Labor Day, I think I'll come out and start a pretty aggressive campaign to go statewide, for lieutenant governor." Naughton will join Democrats Mike Lake and Steve Kerrigan. On Saturday, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rick Sullivan said he has honed his consideration for a statewide office on the lieutenant governorship. A captain in the U.S. Army Reserves, Naughton returned from a tour of duty in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, in the spring of 2012 and served a tour in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2005 and 2006. Naughton said his military service, his experience as a legislator and the "most important thing" of his marriage and four children will be factors. Under Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, the office took on the purview of veterans affairs. Asked if he was thinking of running a joint campaign with any of the candidates for governor, Naughton said, "The question is would they be looking to match up with me?" He said, "I think they'd be smart if they did."

GALVIN: TREASURER'S RACE "NOT AS CLEAR" AS GOVERNOR

Secretary of State William Galvin, who oversees the state's elections, said Massachusetts politics is in a time of transition. "We have obviously had a lot of change over the last couple of years, starting perhaps with the death of Senator Kennedy, the subsequent situation with Senator Kerry leaving, and the retirement of the mayor of Boston. There's a lot of pent-up opportunities out there and you can see it in the knock-down effect," Galvin told the News Service. Pausing on his way down the stairs at the party platform convention in Lowell, Galvin said the next major hurdle for candidates will be next year's convention in June, when they will need 15 percent of delegates' votes to appear on the primary ballots. "A lot of the picture has yet to be developed," Galvin said. Noting the several candidates either openly considering or declared for the governor's seat, Galvin said, "The number of people running for treasurer is not as clear." Gov. Deval Patrick is not running for a third term, and Treasurer Steven Grossman has announced his intention to run for the open seat.

SOMERVILLE ASPIRATIONS COLLIDING BETWEEN TWO MEN

While Saturday was a debut of sorts for gubernatorial candidates Joe Avellone, Sen. Dan Wolf, Don Berwick and Treasurer Steven Grossman, two men from Somerville who are also considering the governor's race in 2014 arrived in Lowell with different strategies. Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone held court in part of the UMass Lowell Tsongas Center's mezzanine, distributing "Enjoy a cup of Joe" plastic glasses and palm cards, which did not list an office sought. Though he is currently running for reelection as mayor, Curtatone acknowledges the governor's race has some appeal. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano took in the convention with his wife Barbara without staff or materials, dressed casually in short sleeves and khakis. He left early, before Avellone, Wolf or Berwick took the stage. Capuano said he could make a decision before the end of August, but is weighing the pros and cons. "I think a lot of the progress that's going to be done in the next 10 years or so is probably going to be done at the state level ... The federal government's going to have a hard time getting anything done," Capuano told the News Service. He said, "I do enjoy the challenges of Congress, not every day, and not right this very minute, but I do enjoy them. I have a lot of good seniority among very good committees. I think most people who follow this stuff think I've been relatively successful at it, and Massachusetts has lost a lot of seniority in the House ... That's kind of important in a state." Curtatone used to spar with Capuano when Capuano was Somerville mayor in the 1990s and Curtatone was an alderman at large. "I've been inspired to take a hard look at the governor's seat, and that's why I'm considering it, but make no mistake I'm running for mayor this year obviously and my greatest love is for the city of Somerville," Curtatone said. Curtatone said he had not discussed his potential candidacy with Capuano, saying, "We haven't talked about this at all ... Mike Capuano and I are friends, good friends and close colleagues, and I'm a big fan of his. We're all making our decisions based on what's best for ourselves and our families." While those two haven't talked, Attorney General Martha Coakley said she has let Capuano know she is considering a run for governor. "Michael and I are friends. We've talked back and forth. I have told him that I am thinking about it, and I have told him when I decide I will let him know, and will let anyone else know who's interested," Coakley told reporters. All three said that they were not awaiting the decision of anyone else as they consider bids. Capuano and Coakley faced off in the primary to replace U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, which Coakley won before her January 2010 defeat to Scott Brown.

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